Rose Shasha Neal, 92 years old of San Bernardino, formerly of Downey passed away peacefully on March 5, 2018 at 11:50 p.m.

Memorial dinner to honor her will be at Buca di Beppo in Huntington Beach at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday March 24, 2018. Please call Linda 949-331-3411 to reserve seating.

Rose is interred at Riverside National Cemetery at 22495 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, CA 92518.Rose was born in Pennsylvania to Joseph and Bertha Shasha on 5/21/25. She moved to Downey when she was eight years old and lived most of her life in Downey.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Neal who passed away on February 14, 2003.

Rose is survived by her sons, Michael Neal of Downey and Alan Neal of Huntington Beach and her daughters, Linda Hill and her husband, Brad Malinowski of San Bernardino and Tammy Ford and her husband, Kenny Ford of Las Vegas, NV. She is also survived by her grandchildren, James Hill, Veronika Hill, Matthew Neal, Samantha Gonzales, Melissa Neal, Michelle Neal, Joshua Neal, Brian Ford, Jacob Ford, Tyler Ford and her great grandchildren, Mariah, Connor, Adam aka “Billy,” Ian, Liliana, Aliyah, Fox, Gennivesia and Jocelyn, her sister-in-law, Josephine Shasha of Long Beach, her brother-in-law, Robert Neal of Oakland and many nieces and nephews.

Rose spent many years caring for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, potty training each and every one and teaching them all to read.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Operation Smile, 3641 Faculty Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23453 in the name of Rose Neal.

We reside in the area of north Downey and we have loved living here for over 20 years.

Since they have added the new condos and food establishments, there has been so much more traffic. We go out around 2:30 or 3 p.m. and it’s like you can’t get through Gallatin and Lakewood. Gridlock is always an issue, people are so disrespectful, they don’t care about following the laws and go through the striped lines after the freeway entrance going north.

U-turns and left-hand turns are being made constantly going southbound on Lakewood when they can’t or don’t want to wait for the left hand turning lane on Gallatin. Another issue is the way is traffic allowed to make a U-turn when people are trying to turn right. All these people are normally just going to McDonald’s. There are two entrances to the 5 freeway, they need to figure it out. The U-turn should be eliminated.

I really don’t know what the solution should be for these major traffic jams, but come summer, or Christmas holidays, it’s only going to get worse.

With all these new housing structures and less parking, and no one looking at synchronization of the traffic lights, we are going to constantly be stuck in traffic at these locations. Firestone and Florence are no better either.

Let’s get help or put traffic cops out there to look at the people that are violating the traffic laws. As we go around the community, all we see are more condos being built and people just coming in and not following traffic laws.

I’m concerned about the sound of this town hall meeting regarding the homeless hosted by the police and Mayor Pro Tem Rick Rodriguez. (“Police to Discuss Homelessness at March 22 Meeting,” 3/8/18)

It sounds a little like a discussion about criminalizing the homeless. Like a vigilante posse of people who are fed up with the unsightly property devaluing by poor people living outside their homes, apartment buildings, parks and riverbeds.

While some homeless people exhibit anti-social behavior, not everyone is the stereotypical shopping cart schizophrenic, or Megan’s law sex offender. (In fact, most of those registered sex offenders, at least 98%, are housed here in the city.)

Some homeless people are just regular folks who have the misfortune of living in a society where housing is not considered a basic inalienable human right. And gentrification in the neighborhood has pushed out affordable housing.

Remember, the American Civil Liberties Union is just a phone call away from a class action lawsuit. So I hope this is a meeting about compassion for the homeless who obey the law.

And while we’re at it, maybe we could push out some of those Megan’s law sex offenders who live comfortably sheltered here in Downey.

DOWNEY – Ivan Altamirano has announced his intent to run for the 58th Assembly District.The son of immigrant parents, 44-year-old Altamirano currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Commerce.

Altamirano was appointed to City Council in 2012 to fill a vacant seat. He previously served as a Planning Commissioner.

“I didn’t have any political ties,” said Altamirano. “I filled out the application during one of the council meetings. They interviewed 23 of us and they chose me.”

He says he “hit the ground running.”

“Within three months I created something huge in our city…it’s called the Citadel Express Shuttle,” said Altamirano. “It’s a natural gas bus, and what it does is it travels from the Commerce Casino, to the Citadel, and then it goes to Union Station, L.A. Live, Staples Center, Bonaventure, major hotels and back every day. It became so successful that now we have two busses; one in Downtown and one in LA, and ridership is free.”

He was reelected for the first time in 2013, and once more last year.

Before taking that responsibility, however, Altamirano had a bit of a rough past.

“City of Commerce in the late 80’s and early 90’s, it became gang infested,” said Altamirano. “What happened was all of my friends started to join gangs…so I had no choice, they forced me into the gang and I got into a lot of trouble as a teen.”

Altamirano says that by the time he was 16, he was on probation. By 17, his first baby had been born. He dropped out of high school and ended up in juvenile hall.

“I had to really make a decision,” said Altamirano. “I started to look at the future and I started to see what has been happening with my friends…I said ‘I cannot do this.’”

From there, Altamirano went to Los Angeles Trade Tech, earning a GD and AS degree. He eventually started his own air conditioning and heating business and has since started buying investment homes in the City of Commerce.

“I know what it is to fail forward,” says Altamirano.

He is currently married with three children.

Now looking towards State Assembly, Altamirano says that his initial plan was to run several years down the line out of respect, however current circumstances surrounding the District have expedited his decision.

“Our goal was to run in four years,” said Altamirano. “It was the lack of representation and lack of leadership in our district. We felt compelled to run, to go out there and bring what the Southeast needs.”

“I grew up in this area all my life, in the City of Commerce born and raised,” said Altamirano. “I come from a city that works. We come from a city that we have one of the largest railroads…we have big issues here in the City of Commerce that also is through the Southeast, with traffic and local investment. We need people that are going to represent with leadership.”Altamirano says “he cares.”

“The way I see my constituents is the way I see my kids, my family,” said Altamirano. “When I do something, it’s for everybody; it’s to make it work.”

Steve Zaragoza is an observant man. The boy scouts probably learned a lot under his leadership. Shared Stories is a weekly column featuring articles by participants in a writing class at the Norwalk Senior Center. Bonnie Mansell is the instructor for this free class offered through the Cerritos College Adult Education Program. Curated by Carol Kearns

By Steve Zaragoza

It was picture-perfect springtime in Joshua Tree National Park when a group of Boy Scouts visited in 1984. All the colors were sharp and the air was crisp and clean. It is a time I captured and kept in my mind.

I was a scout troop assistant scoutmaster and advisor for hiking and backpacking. We had two patrols of six boys and six leaders. Friday night evening dinner was jumbo burritos.

Next morning started with seasoned potatoes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. After clean-up, we all helped each other to prep for a day hike.

The trail we took would lead us to the boulders area. Throughout the hike, we pointed out the different cactus - the Joshua tree, teddy bear cholla, Mojave yucca, chuparosa, desert lavender, creosote bush – just to name a few. During our hike in a dry creek bed, we also saw small desert life – rabbits, squirrels, and birds.

At the point of about two miles, we had reached an area at the boulders. All of us agreed to rest. That started a lot of chitter chatter. While that was going on I noticed a signal to have our lunch and snacks.

My favorite snack on hikes is salami and cheese with crackers (Ritz, of course). Some of the boys wanted salami and cheese, so I made a trade – peanut butter and jelly for salami and cheese.

While everyone was eating I noticed a rock climbing group ahead of us. As I was watching, I heard one leader giving instructions to one boy on where to place his hand and foot.

The instructor made himself very clear, telling the boy, “Right arm straight out and about two hand lengths up, and place four fingers in the fissure. Then slide your right leg up slowly till you feel a bump with your foot.”

At the base of a boulder, one of the other instructors was prepping another boy to climb. “Pull yourself up,” he yelled.

That instructor also told the boy to, “Hold and feel my hands to know the movements of tying a knot.”

At that point, I turned back to my group of boys and said, “Hey, guys, look and listen and tell me what you see.” About five minutes in, the boys said they just saw others rock climbing.

I told them, “Listen, guys, they’re in constant communication while climbing and rappelling.”

The group of kids we were watching were blind. It told our boys that we had a lot to learn about how to listen and work together.

DOWNEY – The Downey High School girls’ basketball team saw their season come to an end last Saturday night at Downey against Cathedral Catholic of San Diego, 50-48, in the second round of the 2018 C.I.F. Division 2 State Championships.

The Lady Vikings finished their season with an overall record of 26-7 and a S.G.V.L. record of 8-2. Downey finished their season as C.I.F. Division 2A Finalists and in second place in S.G.V.L. play behind league champion Lynwood.

The Lady Vikings were defeated by Glendora at Azusa Pacific University, 47-35, on March 2 in the C.I.F. Division 2A championship game but qualified for the C.I.F. Division 2 State Girls Basketball Championships with their string of wins in postseason play.

Downey defeated Westview of San Diego at Westview, 59-51, in the first round of state championship play on 3/7 to advance to the second round. In that game, the Lady Vikings trailed 19-16 at the end of the first quarter and 29-27 at halftime.

Downey outscored Westview 11-7 in the third quarter and led 40-38 as the quarter came to an end. The Lady Vikings outscored Westview 19-13 in the fourth and final quarter and came away with the hard-fought 59-51 win.

The Lady Vikings were then eliminated last Saturday night at Downey against Cathedral Catholic. In the Downey/Cathedral Catholic game, the Lady Vikings trailed at the end of the first quarter 12-8. Downey rallied back in the second quarter and took a 21-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Lady Vikings were outscored 20-8 in the third quarter and trailed 36-29 as the quarter came to an end.

Coach Harris, his staff and players are all disappointed with how their last game ended. However, many of this year’s players are underclassmen and will be back next year to make a deeper run.

This was an excellent season for the Lady Vikings and they should feel proud of how well they played and how hard they competed.

WARREN GIRLS BASKETBALL: The Warren High School girls’ basketball team saw their season come to an end last Wednesday night against Legacy High School of South Gate at Warren, 74-73, in overtime in the first round of the C.I.F. Division 3 State Girls Basketball Championships.

The Lady Bears finished their season with an overall record of 20-11 and a S.G.V.L. record of 6-4. Warren defeated Cabrillo, 47-42, in overtime at Colony High School in Ontario on March 3 to claim the C.I.F. Division 3AA title and qualify for the state tournament.

In the Warren/Legacy game, Legacy jumped out to a 31-21 lead as the first quarter ended. Warren outscored Legacy 8-7 in the second quarter but still trailed 38-29 going into the locker room at halftime.

The third quarter was action packed as Warren outscored Legacy 26-25 but still trailed by eight points going into the fourth quarter. The Lady Bears tied the score in the fourth quarter and forced overtime.

The two teams battled back and forth in overtime. Warren took the lead at 73-71 with 3.7 seconds left and Legacy needed to go the length of the court to score. That is exactly what Legacy’s Arianna Harper did. Harper drove the length of the floor, drew the foul and made the free throw to give the Lady Tigers the 74-73 lead with .3 to play.

Harper’s final three points gave her 35 points for the game and helped seal the win for Legacy. The Bears inbounded the pass but that was all they could do as the clock expired and Legacy claimed the hard fought, 74-73 overtime win.

WARREN BASEBALL: The Warren High School baseball team currently has an overall record of 6-1 and will begin San Gabriel Valley League play when they host Lynwood at Warren on April 10.

Warren swept Hoover, 13-0 and 11-1, on 2/27 in a doubleheader at Warren. The Bears defeated Magnolia, 18-5, on 3/1, defeated Rancho Alamitos, 12-0, on 3/3 and were defeated by Santa Ana at Warren, 7-6, in nine innings on 3/5.

Warren defeated Estancia at Estancia, 13-2, on 3/7 and defeated Savanna at Warren, 10-2, on 3/9. The Bears were scheduled to play El Rancho on Tuesday afternoon but the game was postponed due to the rain. The two teams played on Wednesday (score unavailable at press time).

Warren finished last season with an overall record of 19-10 and a S.G.V.L. record of 8-2. The Bears were eliminated last season in the first round of the C.I.F. Division 3 playoffs by Peninsula at Peninsula 6-2 after winning their wild card game against Long Beach Poly 3-2.

WARREN SOFTBALL: The Warren High School softball team currently has an overall record of 4-2 and will begin San Gabriel Valley League play when they host Lynwood on April 10.

The Bears have played three games in the Savannah Tournament. Warren defeated San Clemente, 2-1, on 2/24, were defeated by Woodbridge, 4-3, on 2/24 and defeated Fullerton, 4-0, on 3/9.

Warren finished last season with an overall record of 21-9 and a S.G.V.L. record of 8-2. The Bears were eliminated in the second round of the C.I.F. Division 2 playoffs by Santa Margarita at Santa Margarita 8-0. Warren was scheduled to play Millikan on Tuesday but no result or information was made available.

Coach Starksen, her staff and players are all looking forward to the start of league play.

DOWNEY BASEBALL: The Downey High School baseball team currently has an overall record of 1-7 and will begin San Gabriel Valley League play when they host Paramount on April 10.

The Vikings are currently 0-3 in the Downey Tournament (Feb. 24-26 and March 12-14) and were 1-5 in the Loara Tournament (March 1-9). The Vikings were defeated by La Mirada, 6-2, on 2/24, were defeated by Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-0, on 2/26, were defeated by Edison, 4-0, on 3/1 and were defeated by Cypress, 8-1, on 3/3.

Downey was defeated by Canyon, 3-0, on 3/6, was defeated by Ocean View, 2-1, on 3/8, defeated Anaheim, 6-0, on 3/9 and was defeated by Pacifica, 7-1, on Monday. The Vikings hosted Long Beach Poly at Downey on Wednesday in their fourth and final game of the Downey Tournament (score unavailable at press time).

DOWNEY SOFTBALL: The Downey High School softball team currently has an overall record of 7-4 and will begin San Gabriel Valley League play when they host Paramount on April 10.

The Lady Vikings defeated St. Paul, 6-4, on 2/24, defeated Walnut, 17-2, on 2/24, defeated Sunny Hills, 8-1, on 3/1 and swept Lakewood at Lakewood in a doubleheader, 9-5 and 6-3, on 3/6.

Downey competed in the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Arizona, March 8-10. The Lady Vikings finished that tournament with a record of 2-3.

Downey was defeated by Pacifica, 6-2, on 3/8, was defeated by Cienega of Vail, Arizona, 2-0, on 3/9, defeated Flagstaff, Arizona, 11-0, on 3/9, was defeated by Coronado of Henderson, Nevada, 4-3, on 3/10 and defeated River Valley of Arizona, 3-0, on 3/10.

Downey was defeated by La Habra at La Habra on Tuesday, 7-6. Coach Garcia, his staff and players are all looking forward to the start of league play.

Animaniacs in Concert will be coming to the Downey Theatre on March 30, bringing a wave of wacky and musical nostalgia to attendees.

The Animaniacs were a popular cartoon throughout the 1990’s centering around the “totally insaney” siblings of “Warner Brothers” Yakko, Wakko, and “Warner Sister” Dot.

After years of running around the Warner movie lot and being locked in the Warner Brothers Tower, the trio has once again broken loose and vamoosed. Having now landed in Downey, they’re inviting residents to sit back and relax and laugh till they collapse.

Attendees should expect to hear some old-time Animaniacs classics such as “Hello Nurse” and “I’m Mad,” as well as other never-before-heard tunes.

The show will accompany Emmy winning Randy Rogel – who wrote and created many of the songs from the Animaniacs – with award winning voice actor Rob Paulsen.

Photo courtesy of Lori DeWaal

You may have never heard of Paulsen, but you’ve definitely heard him.

In addition to being the voice of Yakko, Paulsen – or rather, his voice – may be familiar to many from the characters he has given life to over his over 30-year career in animation, including a laboratory mouse, a superhero sidekick, a lovable nerd, and a couple of turtles to name a few.

“I was Raphael in the original go around of [Teenage Mutant Ninja] Turtles 30-odd years ago, and now I’ve just wrapped up five years as Donatello on the most recent iteration of the show on Nickelodeon.” said Paulson. “I was also fortunate enough to be Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, and Yakko on Animaniacs; and Dr. Scratchansniff on the same show. Arthur from the Tick…PJ from Goof Troop, and Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron. All kinds of fun stuff.”

Still, Paulsen says that he’s “just the actor and the singer.” However, he is honored when he to gets to speak with fans of the shows.

“It turns out that all these characters have brought an incredible amount of joy to folks,” said Paulsen. “That’s the greatest part about this gig is knowing that it makes people happy… It is never not humbling. It is really a profound gift when people take the time when people take the time to tell you what these characters have meant to them.”

According to Paulson, voice acting brings its own set of challenges, including the relying on the use of voice and animation to portray a character as opposed to putting on a costume and physically entering a set or scene.

“It is much more an imaginative practice, much more of an imaginative exercise,” said Paulson. “I have a very fertile imagination; I think I’m pretty good at improvising in the context of what a scene is about and so are my peers.

“Jim Cummings, Frank Welker, Jeff Bennet, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, all these people have such really vivid imaginations and they are entertaining by themselves. When you talk to Jim Cummings and he starts riffing as Darkwing Duck or Winnie the Pooh, or you talk to Frank Welker and he starts riffing as Megatron, or you talk to Seth MacFarlane and he starts riffing as Stewie, Maurice as Morbo or the Brain, it’s effortless and they don’t need a script to do it. It’s pretty cool.”

Screengrab from Youtube user CartoonSerie

Aforementioned Maurice LaMarche – who voiced Brain on Pinky and the Brain - will also be joining Paulsen on the Downey Theatre stage.

“We found out yesterday,” said Paulsen. “Randy Rogel has written new pieces for not only the Brain, but Pinky and the Brain and we will be performing them as well; things that no audience has ever heard.”

The reunion of Paulsen and LaMarche should bring a fresh and exciting dynamic to the show.

“Now that Maurice is on board, he brings a whole new level – colloquially – a whole new level of bitchin’-ness to the show,” said Paulsen. “He’s the Brain for god’s sake…he’s just a profoundly gifted individual. He’s also one of my very best friends in the world, and we can riff together as Pinky and the Brain for hours with no script.”

After years of being off the air, Paulsen says that shows like The Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain “hold up beautifully," with a demographic of current audiences spanning over two or three generations.

“Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain were really excellent shows,” said Paulsen. “Now to see a new audience embrace it…this is remarkable.”

Ticket information can be found online at the Downey Theatre website, www.downeytheatre.org, or at animaniacslive.com.

DOWNEY -- Two people were cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor during a Downey Police Department “shoulder-tap” operation on Saturday.

In the operation, a person under age 21 stands outside a liquor store or convenience store and asks customers to purchase alcohol for them. The minor indicates they are under 21 years old and can’t buy the alcohol themselves.

Adults who purchase alcohol for the underage decoy receive a citation.

The decoy is under direct supervision of a police officer, authorities said. Downey Police completed the operation with assistance from the Bell Gardens and Whittier police departments.

Approximately 70 police and sheriff’s departments across California participated in the operation, which was funded by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

DOWNEY -- Downey FC 2005 Boys are the State Cup champions, winning the title after finishing the regular season undefeated in their first year as a club.

The boys won the Cal South regular season without a loss, qualifying them for the State Cup, a tournament of 256 of the best soccer clubs in California. Only first place teams from their areas qualify for the State Cup.

The first few rounds were in Temecula to narrow the field down to 128, then 64. The next week was in Lancaster, where the boys defeated FC Premier, 7-0; then P2KS L.A., 3-0, in the round of 16; then Pateadores SC, 6-0, in the round the of 8.

The last two games were also played in Temecula, with Downey defeated BF310 Galaxy, 2-1, in penalty kicks in the Final Four, and then International Futbol Club, 3-0, in the championship game. Downey FC scored 21 goals and allowed only one in the last five rounds of the tournament.

“The boys played wonderfully, representing our city with great sportsmanship and pride,” Downey coaches said.

There is still time to catch one more live show (Episode 6) in the compelling series Unheard LA. These free events are sponsored by local public radio station KPCC (89.3 FM) and they feature real people – our friends, our families, our neighbors – up on stage, telling about their struggles, their successes, their surprises, and their dreams for the future. The next show will be at the Baldwin Park Performing Arts Center on April 7.

We went to the show at the Downey Theatre on Sunday afternoon to cheer on a friend, Maria Zeeman, who had been selected to share her story about her years as a little girl in a prisoner of war camp in Indonesia during World War II.

Maria is an 80-year-old grandmother, now an American citizen, and she had kept the pain of this war experience inside her for over 60 years. About five years ago a counselor suggested she join a writing group.

Maria shared the stage with nine others who told stories about other personal experiences that are not uncommon in our 21st century world: refugee status, immigration, sexual identity, family displacement, autism, and working with the homeless. Both program and audience were totally SoCal – multi-national and multi-generational. My daughters were captivated, and often teary-eyed, they said.

The goal of this series is to help people build their sense of connection with others. Humans are wired for empathy, and through hearing the stories of others, we recognize our shared humanity. I want to live in a society that values cooperation and compassion, and I know that requires an open mind and heart.

My adrenaline was flowing even before the show began. We were a fair-sized group to start with because Maria is a member of our writing class. I also saw other friends I hadn’t expected to see as we moved through the lobby and into the theater. We chatted with the mayor, with a bridge partner of Maria’s (I didn’t know Gloria knew Maria), with poets from Long Beach, and with an incredibly dynamic young activist from Warren High.

Maria Zeeman (center) with daughters Beatrix and Loretta, and friends. Maria was a featured storyteller at Unheard LA in Downey.

Despite all of the turmoil that has affected our country and world for so many years, I still believe in “the better angels of our nature.” Most of us are born wanting to share and get along, but we need to work at these qualities if we want to survive these contentious times. Otherwise we degenerate into a collection of greedy individuals whose only goal is “I’ve got mine.”

"Unheard LA" inspires us to follow on our natural urge to listen, empathize, support, and try to do the right thing. Thank you, KPCC.

I would like to take this opportunity to honor one of Downey's most diligent and thoughtful volunteers that we very sadly lost late last month.

Marie Elizabeth Eckstrom had been a resident of Downey since 1959, and served the community for years as a member of the League of Women Voters, Downey Symphony Guild and as a volunteer for Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center. Marie also volunteered tirelessly at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital for over 25 years. Every week up until age 92, she would drive from Downey to the Norris early in the morning, motivated only by her desire to help others.

Marie gave generously of her time and resources to assist as many needy causes as she possibly could - we will probably never know just how many organizations and individuals benefited from her generosity because she never sought out any credit or recognition. In fact, any recognition she did receive would make Marie visibly uncomfortable.

I would like to send a tremendous thank you out to this incredibly kind and giving soul that we had the privilege of having in our community for so many years. Marie's passing is a terrible loss for Downey, but she leaves behind an incredible legacy of giving that will always be warmly remembered by the community she loved so much.

We just got word that Councilman Alex Saab is beginning the process of removing one of our most outstanding planning commissioners, Jim Rodriguez, mid-term.

Although Rodriguez is doing an excellent job, the councilman said he wants to remove him to “give others an opportunity to serve”. That’s like saying let's recall a councilman so we can give “others an opportunity to serve”.

It just doesn’t make sense. It seems possible that the reason Mr. Saab is looking to make the unprecedented change is that commissioner Rodriguez was effectuating change that city staff didn't like. Although these had unanimous approval by the Planning Commission at its Oct. 4 meeting, the changes were ignored by the city.

The Planning Commission agreed to have city staff post a few items on Facebook that would open up a discussion among the community. We never saw those items get posted. Did the councilmen make efforts to support these community engagement efforts? We don't know. But the fact that his commissioner is asked to leave shortly after seems curious.

We’ve never heard of a planning commissioner being replaced unless he missed meetings or maybe didn't live in his district. It seems unusual to do that mid-term, especially to a commissioner who has a positive history of dedication and commitment.

If we remember correctly, Rodriguez's passion, honesty, and work ethic were the very reasons Mr. Saab chose him to serve almost six years ago in the first place. A new appointee would barely have time to have any real effect on a position like that. We know that that position requires a lot of time to learn and deal with the legal and complex issues of city zoning and land issues things.

It just doesn't make sense to us and I hope that his being asked to leave isn't because Rodriguez sometimes opposes the city's ideas, like when he voted no on KB Homes and no on the go-go dancers and no on lot splits.

We think it's healthy and good to have diverse opinions and increased efforts to get our community more involved. When we voted for Mr. Saab six years ago we thought he did too.

Stauffer Middle School students Bailey Canham and Evelyn Vaca developed a cost-effective storm drain filter to separate garbage from water before emptying into the ocean. They are pictured with their principal, Alyda Mir.

DOWNEY – A team of students from Stauffer Middle School were the winners of Downey Unified’s Mission: Impact Challenge – Operation Oceans, a new program in which young innovators from DUSD’s four middle schools were challenged to develop an innovative and feasible solution to solve a real-world problem facing our oceans.

Student worked in teams, with 2-5 students per team. A panel of five judges, comprised of experts in marine biology and sustainability, reviewed presentations from each of the six finalist teams and selected a grand prize winner and two runner-up teams.

Submissions were scored based on originality of their idea; use and application of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math); feasibility and potential impact.

The three winning teams and their ideas are:

Grand Prize: Stauffer Middle School students Bailey Canham and Evelyn Vaca developed a better and cost-effective storm drain filter to separate garbage from water before emptying into the oceans.

Runner-Up: Sussman Middle School students Peter Manriquez, Victor Plascencia, Jordan Price, and Sebastian Ramirez created a mercury filtering submarine to help clean-up mercury contamination in the oceans.

Runner-Up: Griffiths Middle School students Lindsay Santana, Alondra Simbala, Carlos Simbala, Katie Stocks, and Giovanni Trujillo designed a solution to our overfishing problems using radar, sonar, and a digital database to track fishing and impose penalties for overfishing.

The grand prize team won a trip to San Diego where they will tour innovative companies focused on saving and exploring the oceans. Each member of the three winning teams also received a prize package comprised of an Amazon Echo, a Thimble STEM Kit, and passes to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Stauffer Middle School also received $600 in gift certificates in science supplies from Flinn Scientific, Carolina Biological Supply Company and Ward’s Science.

Winners of the Mission: Impact Challenge were announced last month at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Winners were announced at a celebration event Feb. 24 at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Guest speakers included Dr. Jerry Schubel, president and CEO, Aquarium of the Pacific; Jordon Howard, a social good strategist; Dr. Jyotika Virmani, senior director, Energy & Environment, XRIZE; Dr. John Garcia, superintendent, Downey Unified School District; and Phil Davis, director of STEAM programs, Downey Unified School District.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the three top winning teams and are beyond proud of all the extraordinary young adults within Downey Unified that competed,” said Davis. “This was a difficult challenge and many of students stepped up with remarkable solutions to solve real-world problems. Programs like this help unleash the creative minds of our young innovators and engage them in important STEAM disciplines.”

The challenge was a partnership between DUSD and Carrot Group.

“We are honored to partner with Downey Unified and design the Mission: Impact Challenge around oceans,” said Alan Zack, president of Carrot Group. “It is so important that students understand all the issues surrounding our oceans and take steps to come up with new and innovative ideas to solve them using their STEAM knowledge. We applaud all the teams who competed in this Challenge and the celebrate the winning ideas.”

DOWNEY -- Police Cpl. Edward Hano and fire Capt. David Holcombe will be honored as Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year, respectively, at a luncheon April 17 at the Rio Hondo Event Center.

Now in its fourth year, the annual awards ceremony is put on by the Downey Police & Fire Foundation.

Honorees are selected after consideration of a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, outstanding acts of kindness, compassion, courage, attitude, professional work ethic, and devotion to duty.

Tickets to the luncheon are $30 and must be purchased in advance by contact Yvonne Rosales at (562) 904-2301 or yrosales@downeyca.org.

Event sponsorships are also available, ranging from $500-$2,500. The event begins at 11:30 a.m.

Entering our third month makes one realize just how quickly this year is going. In just the first quarter of 2018, the city has accomplished many of its goals it has set for its residents; one of them being to continue to improve our roads.

The Brookshire Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation Project was recently completed and it’s a significant improvement in that incorporates bike lanes. Having bike lanes on our roads encourages people to bike for transportation and to provide an attractive and healthy transportation option, helping to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

Other upcoming road projects are: Old River School Road between Imperial Hwy. and Arnett St., as well as Lakewood Blvd. between Gallatin Road and Telegraph Rd. Also included in the road improvements are 6.9 miles of residential streets just this year alone.

Earlier this year my council colleagues and I approved a $50,000 grant contract with the Los Angeles County to develop a Downey Homeless Action Plan. In November 2016, the voters of Los Angeles County approved a 10-year, quarter-cent sales tax measure to provide funding for homelessness prevention services and coordinated care and housing for homeless individuals in Los Angeles County. As part of the County’s adopted homeless strategy, the County is asking local agencies to develop their own individualized Homeless Action Plans. These plans are intended to further integrate resources of nonprofit agencies, faith organizations; county and state services, railroad and flood control agencies; healthcare organizations; environmental response organizations; and local government services such as public works, library, community services, police, fire and emergency medical agencies.

The City of Downey applied for and was granted $50,000 in Measure H funds to develop a local Homeless Action Plan. The goals of the City of Downey Homeless Plan are:

• Development of an inventory of existing governmental and non-governmental services• Identify service gaps and develop a plan to address the gaps• Enhance the efficacy of existing services,• Educate staff and community members on the resources available• Create a framework for any future policy implementation.

Our city’s and nation’s homeless problem is not an easy problem to solve, but this will assist us in helping address some of the issues Downey has in providing services to our homeless population.

In my capacity as part of the Downey City Council, I have had the pleasure of serving on the Lower LA River Working Group. Many residents don’t realize that we have an actual river running right through middle of the City of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, the river has been neglected over the years. Under California State Assembly Bill 530, cities and advocates banded together to create the Lower Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan (the Plan), which describes opportunities for improving the environment and residents’ quality of life along the river.

The Plan ensures that the voices of the people are heard now and in the future as the river is re-imagined and revitalized into an integral part of a healthy, equitable, and sustainable community. To view the Plan and how it will possibly affect Downey and its surrounding communities go to http://lowerlariver.org/the-plan/.

The “If I Were Mayor” Student Contest is still going strong. All students kindergarten through twelfth grades who live or attend schools in the City of Downey are encouraged to submit their ideas on how to make our City a better place to live. Entries may be an essay, artwork or a photograph. Winners will be recognized with an official city certificate by the Mayor and the City Council at a City Council meeting.

Also nominations are open for the Mayor’s Downey DNA Award. The Mayor's Downey DNA Award recognizes individuals and businesses which through their actions have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and exceptional service in an effort to make our community and world a better place. Winners will receive special recognition at a City Council meeting.

Lastly, I would like to invite you join me as I highlight the goals and accomplishments of the past year and share my vision for the future State of the City. The 2018 State of the City Address will be on Monday, March 26, 2018 at noon at the newly renovated Rio Hondo Golf Club. For more information and to RSVP please contact the Downey Chamber of Commerce at 562-923-2191.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas. Thank you for allowing me to serve you.

Friday, March 2:At 9:30 a.m., a male suspect entered the Arco Am/Pm Market at 9706 Telegraph Rd. The suspect robbed the clerk at gunpoint and took cash from the register. The suspect then ran from the location. Detectives are investigating.

Sunday, March 4:At 1:30 a.m., a male victim of a stab wound sought treatment at a local hospital. He stated he was in the parking lot at the Anarchy Library Bar, 13250 Woodruff Ave. As he attempted to break up a fight, he was stabbed with scissors and sustained non-life threatening injuries. Detectives are investigating.

DOWNEY -- Ferias Legales, a Downey-based non-profit organization focused on delivering free services to underserved communities and increasing diversity in the legal field, launched its second internship cohort last Thursday, March 8.

Maria Torres, who serves as executive director, gave the orientation after welcoming remarks by Downey attorney Ricardo Perez who serves as board president.

The internship program runs 6-8 weeks and exposes students to different areas of law. This year's class consists of three Rio Hondo College and one student from La Verne Law School.

The program kicked off the first week with a training on completing citizenship applications, which the student interns will be conducting as part of the monthly Ferias Legales Free Citizenship Clinic in Lynwood's office of Centro Jalisco, which was held March 10.

Ferias Legales also announced that their partnership with Rio Hondo College's Pathway to Law School helped secure recognition for the college as "Diversity Champions" at the annual Pathway to Law School Summit which was held at the University of San Francisco Law School in February.

Additionally, the University of La Verne awarded a $7,000 scholarship to transferring student Christian Galeana largely due to his community service work as a Ferias Legales intern during the first cohort of the Ferias Legales Internship Program. Christian is also mentored by Downey attorney Matias Flores as part of the Ferias Legales Mentorship Program held in partnership with Rio Hondo College.

For inquiries about the internship program or about the Ferias Legales services, please contact Executive Director Maria Torres at mtorres@feriaslegales.org.

DOWNEY – Risher Mortuary and Cremation Services was awarded the Small Business of the Year Award by the Downey Chamber of Commerce last week.

Risher Mortuary began in 1959 under Raymond and Marjorie Risher in the City of Montebello, with another arrangement office located in Downey on Downey Avenue and 3rd Street.

Currently, the mortuary is owned and operated by Barbara and Gregory Welch, the daughter and son-in-law of the Rishers.

The Welch’s split up duties within the business, with Barbara handing more internal responsibilities and Greg taking on more of the service and public relations aspects.As believers in the Christian faith, Greg says that their work is “a ministry.”

“We decided this is a business that is really like a ministry; we’re ministering to the bereaved,” said Welch. “We champion the fact that we’re believers…so we run our business from a very highly ethical standpoint.”

This is in contrast, Welch says, to a more capitalist approach that other mortuaries take.“There is such upselling…that’s expected,” said Welch. “But what many mortuaries do is they try to upsell you into a casket that you don’t need or can’t afford. Additional services that would be maybe nice; kind of a nice to have not a need to have.”

This can even include taking advantage of heightened emotions, persuading grieving loved ones to pay extra for unnecessary amenities, such as a casket with a “50-year guarantee.”

“We’ve seen mortuaries actually play the guilt trip; we’ve had mortuaries say ‘well doesn’t your dad deserve the best…, said Welch. “It’s a chance to play on the emotion.”

Risher Mortuary has also made investments back into the community through scholarships given to six schools in the cities of Downey and Montebello.

These scholarships are unique in that they are not awarded on grade point average or career intent, but rather the good deeds of the individual student.

“We offer scholarships to Downey and Warren, Columbus, Downey Calvary and St. Pius Matthias,” said Welch. “We call it the Risher Mortuary and Cremation Service Caring for Others Scholarship. The premise for that scholarship is…it doesn’t matter what you do in your life, but what you should do is care for others.

We don’t care what they study, we just want them to tell us ‘how do you plan on using your education to serve and care for others.’”

It is these attributes that Welch believes has earned the mortuary several awards for good service, including the recent nod from the Chamber.

Welch says that he and Barbara plan on continuing their service to their communities “well into our 80’s,” once again citing what he feels is the ministry nature of their work. However, when it comes time to pass the torch, he says any one of their four kids can take the reigns.

“We’ve had that conversation,” said Welch. “We’re not worried about it. We think the kids will probably want to; one of the four or maybe more. But that’s our legacy to Barb’s parents and continuing down the line.”

Long-time Downey resident Janet Molinaro passed away on December 29, 2017 at the age of 83.

Born Janet Mae McCurdy on April 18, 1934, Jan, as she was known to family and friends, graduated from Downey High School in 1951 and later attended UCLA. While working for her family’s company, McCurdy & Son, Inc., Jan would meet and fall in love with Southern California businessman Louis Molinaro. They were married in 1959 and later bought a home on Julius Avenue, where they raised their daughter Dina and son Richard.

Jan was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and sister, and she will be remembered by her family and friends for her passion, humor and joy of life. Jan developed a love for sports while playing golf and tennis in her youth and she passed this love down to her children and grandchildren. She was a dedicated fan of UCLA athletics and all who knew her would agree that she was truly a “Bruin for life.”

A fixture in the Downey business community, Jan entered the real estate industry in 1976 as an agent and later became a broker for Century 21 CB Real Estate, which she owned until her retirement in 2013. She was an active member of the Downey Association of Realtors, which honored her as Broker of the Year as recently as 2011, and a volunteer for the National Kidney Foundation.

Upon the passing of her husband Lou in 2013, Jan retired and spent her last years visiting her great-grandchildren, taking weekend trips to Las Vegas and listening to albums from her favorite musician, Frank Sinatra.

She is survived by her children Dina Kennedy and Richard Molinaro, son-in-law Brian Kennedy, daughter-in-law Janet Hare Molinaro, seven grandchildren: Travis, Nicole, Nicholas, Melanie, Julia, Owen and Carrie, and two great-grandchildren: Elizabeth and Alexander. She is also survived by her sister Charlotte Widling.

Her life will be celebrated by family and friends in Arcadia on March 10.